Ribbon feeding device for a variable spacing typewriter



B. FRANCISCO May 20, 1969 mason FEEDING nnvrcn FOR A VARIABLE SPACINGTYPEWRITER Sheet Z or 2 Filed June 2. 1966 lllllll HHHHHH IHH mm mvsmomBERNARD'NO FRANCISCO BY M AGENT May 20, 1969 s. FRANCISCO 3,444,979

RIBBON FEEDING DEVICE FOR A VARIABLE SPACING TYPEWRITER Sheet 4? FiledJune 2, 1966 Fig. 2

INVENTOR. B ERNARDINO FRANCISCO United States Patent US. Cl. 197-451 3Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A variable spacing typewriter isprovided with a carbon ribbon feeding device adapted to advance theribbon a minor length when a first group of types is printed and a majorlength when a second group of types is printed. The ribbon is advancedthrough a ratchet wheel cooperating with a pair of parallel pawls, whichare reciprocated upon printing each type, whereby a first pawl advancesthe ribbon a first increment during the forward stroke of the pawls,whereas the other pawl advances the ribbon a second increment during thereturn stroke thereof. A spacing selector is adapted to disable saidother pawl upon selecting the spacing of any type of said first group.

This invention relates to a ribbon feeding device for a variable spacingtypewriter, comprising means normally effective for feeding apredeterminate portion of ribbon in the printing advancing directionupon printing each character.

In the variable spacing typewriters, particularly in the case whereincarbon ribbon is used, it is useful to feed the ribbon through variablestrokes according to the width of the printed character. There are knowndifierential ribbon feeding devices, wherein the ribbon is fedproportionally to the carriage spacing corresponding to each printedcharacter. These devices are intricate and expensive since the carriagegenerally may advance through a variable number of unit spacings fromtwo to six, whereby the ribbon feeding device needs to advance theribbon through one of five different lengths.

To obviate this disadvantage, a feeding device has been proposed,wherein a member for feeding the ribbon is predisposed before theprinting for effecting two different strokes corresponding to twodifferent ribbon portions. Therefore, after the printing a timecorresponding to the longer stroke must be provided for feeding theribbon, whereby the speed of the machine is reduced.

A ribbon feeding device is also known which comprises a ratchet wheeland a pair of simultaneously reciprocating pawls to rotate the wheel.However, this device is unable to variably advance the ribbon relatedlyto the spacing effected by the carriage.

The primary object of the invention is to provide in a proportionallyspacing typewriter an eflicient ribbon feeding device whichsubstantially avoids waste of carbon ribbon.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a proportionallyspacing typewriter a ribbon feeding device which is inexpensive tomanufacture, reliable in operation and feeds the ribbon efficientlythrough extents correlated to the characters being typed.

The invention is applied to a variable spacing type- Writer whichincludes a usual set of types, a set of intermediate operating membersfor said types, and a spacing control mechanism governed by the saidintermediate members to execute incidental to each typing operation avariable, proportional space regulating movement correlated to theparticular type that is being operated. -If the variable spacerequirement for the character being typed is greater than a certainsize, the staetd control mechanism will execute an appropriate stroketransgressing a certain extent of operation. On the other hand if thevariable space requirement for the character being typed is below saidcertain size, the stated control mechanism will execute an appropriatestroke short of transgressing said certain extent of operation. On theother hand if the variable space requirement for the character beingtyped is below said certain size, the stated control mechanism willexecute a stroke short of transgressing said certain extent ofoperation.

A carbon ribbon feeding device is governed by said control mechanism sothat if the latter executes a stroke transgressing said certain extentof operation, a ratchet wheel of a ribbon feeding device, through themedium of a first pawl, will receive a ribbon feeding motion from apower operable means during a forward stroke thereof, and further,through the medium of another pawl will receive a supplemental ribbonfeeding motion from the power operable means during a return strokethereof. On the other hand, if said control mechanism executes a strokeshort of transgressing said certain extent of operation, the saidratchet wheel will receive a ribbon feeding motion from the poweroperable means only during the forward stroke of the power operablemeans, the said other pawl being held in a disabled condition due to thecontrol mechanism having moved short of transgressing said certain pointof operation.

Specifically said first and said other pawl are arranged for feedingcooperation with said ratchet wheel at two diametrically opposite sidesthereof. Furthermore, said first pawl and the other pawl are adapted tofeed said ratchet wheel respectively during the forward and the returnstroke of said power operable means.

However, in any typing operations in which said stated control mechanismdoes not transgress said certain extent of operation, the said secondpawl is held disabled so that no supplemental ribbon feeding operationwill materialize.

This characteristic of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment thereof and from theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a right hand partial longitudinal sectional view of a variablespacing typewriter incorporating a ribbon feeding device according tothe invention; and

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the typewriter of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIG. 1, the variable spacing typewriter comprises aset of type actions, each one having an intermediate lever 3 fulcrumedon a stationary shaft 4 and connected through a link 6 to a type bar 7.This latter is fulcrumed on a wire rod 8 carried by a conventionalbasket 9. Furthermore the typewriter comprises a shaft 11 continuouslyrotated counterclockwise by an electric motor not shown in the drawing.A sleeve 12 is adapted to be cyclically rotated degrees by the shaft 11at the depression of each printing key in the manner described in theUnited States Letters Patent No. 3,151,722. A pawl 13 fulcrumed on thecorresponding intermediate lever 3 engages then a universal bar 14,which through a link 15 is connected to a lever 16 fulcrumed on astationary pivot 17 and cooperating with a cam 18 secured to the sleeve12. Then the cam 18 releases the lever 16, thus causing a spring 19 torock the bar 14 counterclockwise, whereby the lever 3 is rocked alsocounterclockwise and causes the type bar 7 to strike against theconventional platen 20.

Furthermore, the typewriter is provided with a variable spacing controlmechanism comprising a lever 22 fulcrumed on the pivot 17 and urged by aspring 21 to contact cam 18. The lever 32 is connected through a link 23to a universal bar 24 fulcrumed at 25 and adapted to predispose aspacing corresponding to the character to be printed in the mannerdescribed in the United States Letters Patent No. 3,288,262, wherein thebar 24 is indicated by the numeral 183. To this end the universal bar 24is provided with a set of teeth 26 (FIG. 2) having a variable length andeach one adapted to sense a projection 27 (FIG. 1) of the intermediatelever 3 of the corresponding type action when operated. The universalbar 24 when rocked counterclockwise may be arrested at four differentpositions to correspondingly select a spacing variable from two to fiveunit spacings. Therefore the stroke of the universal bar 24 issubstantially proportional to the spacing effected by the carriage. Itis to be pointed out that the conventional space bar, not shown in thedrawing, does not cause a cycle of the sleeve 12, but it operates theescapement mechanism independently from the universal bar 24.

The typewriter is provided with a device for feeding a carbon ribbon 28in front of the platen 20. The ribbon 28 (FIG. 2) is supplied by a spoolnot shown in the drawing and is fed in the printing advancing direction,that is from left to right through a conventional ribbon vibrator 29.This latter is fulcrumed on an arm 101 secured to a shaft 99 rotatablymounted on the machine frame. The ribbon 28 is then guided by a roller30 and is finally wound on a winding spool 31. The ribbon feeding devicecomprises a pair of friction rollers 32, 34 of which the roller 32 issecured to a vertical pivot 33, whereas the roller 34 is rotatablymounted on a pin 35 carried by a lever 36. This latter is fulcrumed on astationary pivot 37 and is urged counterclockwise by a spring 38. Thelever 36 is also provided with a projection 39 manually operable fromthe top of the machine, for inserting a fresh ribbon between the rollers32, 34.

The spool 31 is frictionally driven by a flange 40 secured to a gear 41rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft 42. The gear 41 meshes with asecond gear 43 rotatably mounted on the pivot 37 and meshing with athird gear 44 secured to the pivot 33. This latter is connected througha pair of friction disks, generically indicated by the numeral 45 (FIG.1), to a vertical shaft 46 rotatably mounted on the machine frame.Secured to the lower end of the shaft 46 is a ratchet wheel 47cooperating with a spring urged locking member 48 (FIG. 2)

The feeding device is provided with normally effective first meanscomprising a first pawl cooperating with ratchet wheel 47 and formed ofa lug 49 of a slide 51 slidably mounted on a stationary shaft 52 (FIG.1). The feeding device is also provided with normally ineffective secondmeans comprising a second pawl cooperating with the ratchet wheel 47 atthe diametrically opposite side with respect to the lug 49 and formed ofa lug 57 (FIG. 2) of a second slide 58 slidably mounted on the shaft 52(FIG. 1).

The two slides 51 and 58 are simultaneously reciprocated by a commonmember or bar 53 through a forward and a return stroke, the forwardstroke being efiected susbtantially before the printing, the returnstroke being effected after the printing. Therefore, the lug 57 isadapted to rotate the ratchet wheel 47 before the printing, and the lug49 is adapted to rotate the wheel 47 after the printing. Moreparticularly, the slide 51 is rotatable on the bar 53 and axiallyshiftable thereon, whereas the slide 58 is provided with a slot 60engaging the bar 53 so as to enable the bar 53 to be rearwards(rightwards in FIG. 1) moved with respect to the slide 58, and thislatter to be rotated and axially shifted on the bar 53. A spring 61(FIG. 2) tensioned between the slides 51 and 58 urges said slides tocontact two flanges 62 of the bar 53, and the lugs 49 and 57 to engagethe ratchet wheel 47. The bar 53 is secured to a pair of arms 55 and 54of a bail 56 fulcrumed on a stationary shaft 71.

Yieldable connecting means are provided between the bar 53 and the slide58. Particularly said connecting means comprise a spring 63 (FIG. 1)tensioned between the arm 55 of the bail 56 and the slide 58. Thislatter is also provided with a lug 64 contacted by a lever 66 fulcrumedon the shaft 52, under the urge of a spring 65. The lever 66 is providedwith an element or shoulder 67 normally locatedin the path of the lug64. Finally, the lever 66 is provided with a projection 68 adapted to beengaged by a lug 69 of the lever 22 when the universal bar 24 is rockedfor predisposing at least five unit spacings.

Furthermore, the bail 56 is provided with a third arm 72 pin and slotconnected with a lever 73 fulcrumed at 74 and normally urged by a spring76 to contact a cam 77 of the sleeve 12. A further arm 78 of the bail 56is provided with a lug 79 adapted to cooperate with a shoulder 81 of alever 82 fulcrumed at 83. The lever 82 is normally urged by a spring 84to contact a pin 86 of a lever 87 fulcrumed at 88 and provided with apin 89 cooperating with a spring urged locking member 91. The lever 87is connected through a link 92 to a lever 93 fulcrumed at 94 and havinga manually operable projection 95. Finally, the lever 87 is providedwith a shoulder 96 adapted to cooperate with a lug 97 of a lever 98secured to the shaft 99 (FIG. 2). The lever 98 is linked with a link 102provided with a slot 103 normally urged by a spring 104 to contact a pin105 of the arm 72 of the bail 56.

The ribbon feeding device operates as follows.

During each cycle of the sleeve 12, the cam 77, through the lever 73,rocks the bail 56 at first counterclockwise and then clockwise. Assumingthat the lever 93 is located in the position of FIG. 1, the spring 104moves the link 102 downwards, and rocks the lever 98 clockwise togetherwith the shaft 99 and the arm 101. The vibrator 29 is thus displacedupwards so as to insert the ribbon 28 between the type bar 7 and theplaten 20. Furthermore, the bar 53 of the bail 56 is displaced at firstrearwards (rightwards in FIG. 1) and then forwards, a strokecorresponding to two steps of the ratchet wheel 47 (FIG. 2)

In the case the universal bar 24 is arrested by the projection 27 of theoperated type action in a position corresponding to a number of unitspacings from two to four, the lug 69 (FIG. 1) of the lever 22 does notengage the projection 68 of the lever 66. Then the shoulder 67 of thelever 66 arrests the slide 58 after such a stroke as to cause its lug 57(FIG. 2) to advance the ratchet wheel 47 about half a step before theprinting is effected. On the contrary, the slide 51 is positively drawnrearwards by the bar 53 about two steps of the ratchet wheel 47, wherebythe lug 49 engages the second tooth starting from the one engaged at thebeginning of the cycle.

After the printing, the cam 77 (FIG. 1) causes the spring 76 to returnthe lever 73 counterclockwise and the bail 56 clockwise. Then the pin105, through the link 102, the lever 98 and the arm 101, restores thevibrator 29 downwards, while the bar 53 restores the slides 51 and 58forwards. Now the lug 49 (FIG. 2) of the slide 51 rotates the ratchetwheel 47 clockwise one step and a half, whereby the ratchet wheel 47 inthe whole is rotated two steps, corresponding to a predetermined portionof ribbon 28.

On the contrary, in the case the universal bar 24 is arrested in aposition corresponding at least to five unit spacings, the lug 69(FIG. 1) engages the projection 68 of the lever 66 which is rockedclockwise and removes its shoulder 67 out of the path of the lug 64.

Now, when the bail 56 is rotated counterclockwise, the slide 58 is nolonger arrested and the lug 57 (FIG. 2) previously advances the ratchetwheel 47 one step and a half before the printing, while the lug 49engages the third tooth starting from the one engaged at the beginningof the printing cycle. After the printing, the lug 49 is returnedforwards and advances the ratchet wheel 47 one step and a half as in thepreceding case, whereby in the whole the ratchet wheel 47 is rotatedthree steps instead of two steps, thus advancing an additional portionof the ribbon 28.

It is thus clear that, neglecting the half a step advancement caused inany case by the lug S7 to make sure the engagement of the lug 49 betweentwo teeth of the ratchet wheel 47, the pawl 49, 51 is normally effectivefor feeding a predeterminate portion of ribbon in the printing advancingdirection upon printing each character, whereas the pawl 57, 58 isnormally ineffective for previously feeding an additional portion ofribbon, and is rendered effective by the means 22, 69 when a characterrequiring at least a predetermined spacing is conditioned for printing.Since the ribbon is advanced from left to right the additional portionpreviously fed predisposes at left a sufficient length of fresh ribbonfor printing the widest characters.

If the ribbon 28 is to be prevented from being fed, for example, forcutting a stencil, the lever 93 (FIG. 1) must be rocked clockwise. Thenthe lever 93 through the link 92 rocks the lever 87 counterclockwise, tothe position shown by broken lines in FIG. 1. The shoulder 96 of thelever 87 is thus brought into the path of the lug 97, while the pin 86causes the lever 82 to temporarily contact the lug 79.

Thereafter, upon printing the first character, the cam 77 rocks the bail56 counterclockwise, but the vibrator 29 is not raised because the lug97 is arrested by the shoulder 96 of the lever 87. On the contrary, thelug 79 of the bail 56 is brought in front of the shoulder 81 and islocked by this latter in the position shown by broken lines in theFIG. 1. Therefore, the bail 56 is prevented from being restoredclockwise and the ribbon feeding device rendered ineffective in thefirst, as well as in the following printing cycles, until the lever 93will be returned to the position of FIG. 1.

What I claim is:

1. In a variable spacing typewriter having a cyclically operatingmechanism, a set of types, a set of intermediate members associated withsaid types and individually movable from a rest position to an operatedposition to condition the associated type for printing, and a spacingcontrol mechanism comprising a universal member controlled by saidcyclically operating mechanism for sensing the intermediate member somoved, said universal member being arrested by the various intermediatemembers upon being moved through different extents for causing a letterspacing proportional to said extent, a carbon ribbon feeding device forfeeding a carbon ribbon through a printing point, comprising incombination:

(a) a pair of friction rollers for feeding said ribbon in an advancingdirection,

(b) a ratchet wheel connected to one of said rollers,

(c) a pair of parallel pawls cooperating with said ratchet wheel at twodiametrically opposite sides thereof,

((1) a bar mounting said pair of parallel pawls,

(e) means operated by said cyclically operating mechanism forreciprocating said bar through a forward stroke and a return stroke,

(f) resilient means connecting said bar to a first one of said pair ofparallel pawls for rotating said ratchet wheel a first increment duringsaid forward stroke, the other pawl being effective to rotate saidratchet wheel a second increment during said return stroke,

(g) a removable stop element normally located on the path of the forwardstroke of said first pawl,

(h) and a member connected to said universal member for removing saidelement from said path when said universal member has been moved atleast through a predetermined one of said extents.

2. A ribbon feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said pawls areformed of a pair of slides at two opposite sides of said ratchet wheel,said bar being parallel to said ratchet wheel, said pair of slides beingpivotable and axially shiftable on said bar, a pair of lugs beingintegral with said pair of slides and directed in opposite directionsfor cooperating with said ratchet wheel at two diametrically oppositesides thereof, said ribbon feeding device further comprising incombination:

(i) a spring urging said pair of slides axially toward each other,

(i) and a slot on one of said pair of slides and engaging said bar forenabling said first slide to be moved perpendicular to said bar.

3. In a variable spacing typewriter having a set of types, a set ofintermediate members associated with said types and individuallyoperable to condition the associated type for printing, and a spacingcontrol mechanism cooperating with the so operated intermediate memberfor causing a letter spacing shorter than a predetermined spacing whenthe intermediate member associated with one of a first group of saidtypes is operated and for causing a letter spacing at least equal tosaid predetermined spacing when the intermediate member associated Withone of said second group of types is operated, a carbon ribbon feedingdevice for feeding a carbon ribbon through a printing point, comprisingin combination:

(a) a pair of friction rollers for feeding said ribbon in an advancingdirection,

(b) a ratchet wheel connected to one of said rollers,

(c) a pair of pawls cooperating with said ratchet wheel at twodiametrically opposite sides thereof,

(d) a common member reciprocable concomitantly with the operation ofeach one of said intermediate members through a forward stroke and areturn stroke during the printing of each one of said types,

(e) means connecting said common member with said pair of pawls to causesaid common member to simultaneously reciprocate said pair of pawls,

(f) a spring comprised in said connecting means to cause said commonmember to yieldably operate a first one of said pair of pawls forrotating said ratchet wheel a first increment during said forwardstroke, the other pawl of said pair of pawls being effective to rotatesaid ratchet wheel a second increment during said return stroke,

g) an element normally effective for preventing said first pawl frombeing operated by said common member through said spring,

(h) and a member operated by said spacing control mechanism fordisabling said element when causing a letter spacing at least equal tosaid predetermined spacing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 805,060 11/ 1905 Disbrow 1971511,643,266 9/ 1927 Aichele l97-160 2,161,856 6/ 1939 Coxhead 1971512,224,766 12/ 1940 Dodge 19784 2,425,967 8/1947 Toggenburger 197-1512,609,077 9/ 1952 Schroder 197151 2,734,614 2/1956 Page 197151 2,972,4022/ 1961 Howard 197165 3,026,987 3/ 1962 Gather 197165 X 3,151,722 10/1964 Salto 19717 3,288,262 11/ 1966 Salto 197-84 3,346,090 10/1967 Golfet al 197-151 X ERNEST T. WRIGHT, In, Primary Examiner.

